The Talmudic story (Tractate Shabbat 33B) of Shimon bar Yochai (circa 165 CE) living in a cave for 13 years, is rich with drama and literary nuance in depicting the transformation of this larger than life Talmudic sage from harsh critic of government, family and “modernity”, to one who can appreciate the human struggle to integrate all facets of life with all its complexity. We will study this Talmudic text to extract the human richness of its messages:
וְאַמַּאי קָרוּ לֵיהּ ״רֹאשׁ הַמְדַבְּרִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם״? דְּיָתְבִי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְיָתֵיב יְהוּדָה בֶּן גֵּרִים גַּבַּיְיהוּ. פָּתַח רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמַר: כַּמָּה נָאִים מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל אוּמָּה זוֹ: תִּקְּנוּ שְׁווֹקִים, תִּקְּנוּ גְּשָׁרִים, תִּקְנוּ מֶרְחֲצָאוֹת. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי שָׁתַק. נַעֲנָה רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי וְאָמַר: כׇּל מַה שֶּׁתִּקְּנוּ, לֹא תִּקְּנוּ אֶלָּא לְצוֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן. תִּקְּנוּ שְׁווֹקִין — לְהוֹשִׁיב בָּהֶן זוֹנוֹת, מֶרְחֲצָאוֹת — לְעַדֵּן בָּהֶן עַצְמָן, גְּשָׁרִים — לִיטּוֹל מֵהֶן מֶכֶס. הָלַךְ יְהוּדָה בֶּן גֵּרִים וְסִיפֵּר דִּבְרֵיהֶם, וְנִשְׁמְעוּ לַמַּלְכוּת. אָמְרוּ: יְהוּדָה שֶׁעִילָּה — יִתְעַלֶּה. יוֹסֵי שֶׁשָּׁתַק — יִגְלֶה לְצִיפּוֹרִי. שִׁמְעוֹן שֶׁגִּינָּה — יֵהָרֵג.
1. Now, why is he [Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Ila'i] called the "first speaker on all occasions?"
2. For Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Yossi, and Rabbi Shimon were sitting, and Yeuhdah ben Gerim ("son of converts"), was sitting near them.
3. Rabbi Yehudah commenced by observing, "How fine are the works of this people! They have made streets, they have built bridges, they have erected baths."
4. Rabbi Yossi was silent.
5. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai answered and said, "All that they made they made for themselves;
6. they built market-places, to set harlots in them; baths, to rejuvenate themselves; bridges, to levy tolls for themselves."
7. Now, Yehudah ben Gerim went and related their talk, which reached the government.
8. They (the government) decreed: Yehudah, who exalted [us], shall be exalted, Yossi, who was silent, shall be exiled to Tzipori; Shimon, who censured, let him be executed.
Discussion Questions
- What is the essence of the disagreement between Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Yossi, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai?
- If this conversation were to take place today, what do you think it would be about (i.e. the internet)? What would that conversation sound like?
- Rabbi Yehudah is able to celebrate technological progress in Roman society, despite their destruction and oppression of the Jews. Rabbi Shimon focuses on the Roman people and their motives. How does this bear on the question of one separating beautiful art from the flawed artist who created it? Whose position speaks more strongly to you?
- Do you see any merit in Rabbi Shimon's argument? In what ways does a market economy turn one into a "harlot" (figuratively speaking)? How might one compromise their values, time, or pursuits when engaging in a mercantil environment?
- What role does Yehudah ben Gerim play in this narrative? What ambiguity does his name suggest?
אֲזַל הוּא וּבְרֵיהּ, טְשׁוֹ בֵּי מִדְרְשָׁא. כׇּל יוֹמָא הֲוָה מַתְיָא לְהוּ דְּבֵיתְהוּ רִיפְתָּא וְכוּזָא דְמַיָּא וְכָרְכִי. כִּי תְּקֵיף גְּזֵירְתָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ: נָשִׁים דַּעְתָּן קַלָּה עֲלֵיהֶן, דִילְמָא מְצַעֲרִי לַהּ וּמְגַלְּיָא לַן. אֲזַלוּ טְשׁוֹ בִּמְעָרְתָּא. אִיתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָּא אִיבְּרִי לְהוּ חָרוּבָא וְעֵינָא דְמַיָּא, וַהֲווֹ מַשְׁלְחִי מָנַיְיהוּ וַהֲווֹ יָתְבִי עַד צַוְּארַיְיהוּ בְּחָלָא. כּוּלֵּי יוֹמָא גָּרְסִי. בְּעִידָּן צַלּוֹיֵי לָבְשִׁי מִיכַּסּוּ וּמְצַלּוּ, וַהֲדַר מַשְׁלְחִי מָנַיְיהוּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלָא לִיבְלוּ. אִיתִּיבוּ תְּרֵיסַר שְׁנֵי בִּמְעָרְתָּא. אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְקָם אַפִּיתְחָא דִמְעָרְתָּא, אֲמַר: מַאן לוֹדְעֵיהּ לְבַר יוֹחַי דְּמִית קֵיסָר וּבְטִיל גְּזֵירְתֵיהּ.
9. He [Rabbi Shimon] and his son went and hid in the Beit Midrash,
10. Every day his wife brought him bread and a mug of water, and they ate.
11. When the decree became more severe he said to his son, Women are “light minded” she may be tortured and expose us.
12. So they went and hid in a cave.
13. A miracle occurred and a carob-tree and water well were created for them.
14. They would strip their garments and sit up to their necks in sand.
15. The whole day they studied;
16. when it was time for prayers they dressed, prayed, and then put off their garments again, so that they should not wear out.
17. Thus they dwelt twelve years in the cave.
18. Then Elijah came and stood at the entrance to the cave and exclaimed, “who will inform the son of Yochai that the emperor is dead and his decree annulled”?
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai chooses to hide in the Beit Midrash? Why is/isn't this a great place to hide from Romans?
- Do you see find any hints of selfishness on Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's part? Might he be projecting his own flaws onto the Romans in the previous section of this Gemara?
- Does Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai himself consider women to be "light-minded" and less trustworthy, or is he reflecting the Roman opinion of women and how they will deal with them? In other words, is he denigrating his wife or protecting her?
- How does Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai view his relationship with or responsibility to his wife?
- How does Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai view his relationship with or responsibility to his son?
- What do you make of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai living naked and simply? What is the significance of this detail? Does it remind you of other scenes in the Torah or Talmud?
19. They emerged.
20. Seeing men plowing and sowing, they exclaimed, 'They forsake life eternal and engage in life temporal!'
21. Whatever they cast their eyes upon was immediately burnt up.
22. Thereupon a Heavenly Voice came forth and said, 'Have you emerged to destroy My world: Return to your cave!
23. So they returned and dwelt there twelve months, saying,
24. 'The punishment of the wicked in Gehenna is [limited to] twelve months.' A Heavenly Voice then came and said, 'Go forth from your cave!'
25. They emerged
26. Wherever R. Eleazar wounded, R. Simeon healed. R Shimon said to his son, It would be sufficient for the world to have (just) you and me.
27. On the eve of the Sabbath (Friday) they saw an old man holding two bundles of myrtle and running at twilight.
28. What are these for?' they asked him. 'They are in honor of the Sabbath,' he replied.
29. 'But one should suffice you'?
30. One is for Zachor (Remember) and one for Shamor (Observe).
31. Said he to his son, 'See how precious the commandments are to Israel.'
32. (Thereupon) their minds were at ease.
- Shimon transitions through four worlds from radical (opinions), to more radical (live in the Beth Midrash), to even more radical (live in a cave / burn the world), to moderate (his mind was at ease). Think about his journey. Could it have been shortcut eliminating steps 2&3, or was it necessary for him to take the journey?
- For the Talmudic story to be meaningful we should see it in three strata
- Its historic context: shaping the question of whether Roman civilization was good for the Jews, or not
- Its literary context: Understanding how the tension in the story is universal and arises as a challenge each and every day in in contemporary life
- In its religious context: How does this help me understand the meaningfulness of my life and help me see God in the world. (not all literature - like Shakespeare that A & B) has this goal, but Talmud does, and it is part of our quest).
- If your 10 year old child or grandchild said the wanted to go to the Roman marketplace without an adult, how would you respond, if you were RYbI, RY or RSbY?
- How could you make it a religiously positive experience?
- What are the consequences of saying No.
- From a literary point of view do you think Editor of the Talmud was interested in conveying the possibility of three people with three different “primary values” that influence their conclusion - or might the editor be challenging us to understand each point of view and how it plays out within us in our decision making process?
- As an exercise, consider arguing for the position that you are inclined not to take
- From the story, do you think he editor is being objective or has an agenda?
- Row nine shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic – recognize the strata of the story
- Why is it Eliyahu who comes to tell them of the Cesar’s death? Why does he stand at the threshold of the cave and not go in. Why does he not address them directly? Liminal places, delivering facts but understand he may be destructive in emerging. Giving him the choice of whether to leave or not.
- (NYT Saturday Dec 5, 2020 Mochi maker next to Kyoto shrine) – “To survive for a millennium… a business cannot just chase profits,> It has to have a higher purpose. In the case of Itchiwa that was a religious calling: serving the shrines pilgrims.
- The richness of the story is the dialog of the voices; of the choices, orchestrated by the author / editor. The dialog between disdain for material, and eventual resolution. (reflect back on the beginning RSBY seems to be anti-Roman, when I fact he may be anti-material.
- People make personal caves or themselves. And need stages of emerging. (emphasis of “your” cave).
- What are the two meanings of the Hebrew word Olam? How are they used on lines X & X?
- Given RSBY’s statement that people “neglect the eternal life (chayee olam) and engage in the temporal life”, would you want to reconsider what RSBY’s problem was in #1 above.
- The possibility of plowing for “God’s name” transforming what otherwise might be viewed as Chayee shah into Chayee olam. Is being a professional Rabbi temporal life or eternal life??
- Why did Eliyahu tell RSBY and Eliezer to leave the cave the first time did they not know that they would just be destructive?
- Does the text suggest whether RSBY (and his son) consider their destruction “sinful” or negative?
- What did RSBY and his son do in the cave for the 12 months? (does the text say, or is it silent?)
- By saying “the world will be sufficient with just you” and me as a follow-up to “whatever Eliezer wounded Shimon healed”, what value is Shimon expressing. Why would it not be sufficient with just the healing side of the equation / partnership? We need the dialectic. We need the extremism to enable a norm.
- Erev Shabbos being a liminal time. According to midrash, Adam and Eve emerge from Eden at this same time.
- Is there a relationship (contrast) between the old man running at twilight on erev Shabbos to Eliyahu standing at the threshold?
- What inspired them about their encounter with the old man that helped them turn moderate their attitudes? Is the fact that he has two branches to commemorate two aspects of Shabbos significant to where Shimon’s own development?
- The old man (man of life’s experience) is able to segment positive from negative (Zachor from Shamor).
- Value of ner mitzvah vTorah ohr.
- What are some of the core values suggested through the players within the story? Where does Shimon come out at this point?
All three are students of Rabbi Akiva,
From the beginning until, after the romans speak, it changes from Hebrew to Aramaic
End of story, yaacov makes innovations, in contrast to Eisav who is Rome.
Last week. Focus on difference between Maasaiyhem and intent – i.e. does Judaism prefer what we do or who we become. Each approach has its supporters
A way to look at abusers, the ability to segment. As Yehudah bar Ilai segments between different things the Romans have done/